Taxonomic notes on Neocinnamomum (Lauraceae): a new combination and a new species from southwestern China

Here, Neocinnamomum macrocarpum (Wen B. Xu & B. S. Xia) Bing Liu, Wei L. Lin & Wen B. Xu and Neocinnamomum citratum C. Y. Deng, Bing Liu & Wei L. Lin from southwestern China are described as a new combination and a new species, respectively. The new species, N. citratum, differs from all other species of Neocinnamomum by the strong lemon fragrance of its branches, leaves, and bark. It is closely related to N. lecomtei but is distinguished by the sparsely white sericeous leaf blade on the abaxial surface when young (vs. densely rusty pubescent on both surfaces when young and abaxially when mature) and by oblate to globose fruits (vs. ellipsoid fruits in the latter species).

The new combination, N. macrocarpum, is similar to N. caudatum in having puberulent branchlets, leaves glabrous on both surfaces, transverse veins subhorizontal and subparallel in arrangement, and fruits that are red or dark purple when ripe. However, it differs from the latter species by having triplinerved leaves, axillary cymules, a panicle that is terminal or occasionally axillary but underdeveloped, small flowers 3–4 mm in diameter, and widely ovoid fruits (vs. leaves trinerved, panicles terminal and axillary with a well-developed rachis, flowers 6–8 mm in diameter, and narrowly ellipsoid fruits in the latter species).